SPNL - Shipping Professional Network London

25/07/2026

25/07/2026

What an evening! A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a memorable one. ⚓

We have been blown away by the interest, energy and wonderful feedback following our Leading Thoughts event with International Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at .

Before the full event recap comes your way, we would love to hear from you:

What was your favourite moment, insight or takeaway from the evening?

Share it in the , and please keep your photos coming! Tag us and use and so we do not miss them!

24/07/2026

15/07/2026

Due to high demand, we wanted to share one final update before tomorrow’s event, and before tonight’s match kicks off! ⚓⚽

Thank you for the strong interest in SPNL’s upcoming Leading Thoughts evening with the IMO Secretary-General. We are now fully booked.

Members may still register via the website to join the waiting list.

If you are no longer able to attend, or if you have any enquiries, please let us know.

We look forward to welcoming you tomorrow.

09/07/2026

Have you booked your place yet? ⚓

Registration for SPNL’s upcoming Leading Thoughts evening at the IMO closes at COB on Monday 13 July, and limited spaces remain!

Event details:

📅 Thursday 16 July 2026
📍 IMO Headquarters, 4 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SR
🕕 18:00 Registration and welcome drinks
🎤 18:30 Event kick-off and interview with the Secretary-General
🥂 19:30 Networking drinks

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, in conversation at IMO Headquarters.

Do not miss this exceptional evening! ✨

06/07/2026

📢 Following the high level of interest in our upcoming SPNL Leading Thoughts evening at the IMO, we wanted to gently clarify that this is an exclusive members-only event!

Attendance for this particular evening is reserved for SPNL members and invited guests only.

✨ We are very grateful for the interest shown by first-time attendees and non-members, and would genuinely love to welcome you to another SPNL occasion soon.

For those who would like to join us for this exceptional evening, we warmly encourage you to become a member today!

Thank you again for your support and interest. We look forward to welcoming many of you very soon!

P.S. Any typos, should they appear, are merely proof that our content is not AI-generated. 😉

06/07/2026

⚓ Meet our guest and interviewer for SPNL’s upcoming Leading Thoughts evening at the IMO.

On Thursday 16 July 2026, we will be joined by Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, in conversation with James Milne, Chair of SPNL.

Mr Domínguez assumed his role as the tenth IMO Secretary-General on 1 January 2024, bringing with him more than three decades of experience serving the global maritime sector across leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility.

As one of the most recognised figures in shipping today, the aim of this exclusive interview is to go beyond the title and hear more about the person behind it: his career journey, motivations, leadership perspective and hopes for the next generation of maritime professionals.

🎤 The conversation will be led by James Milne, Chair of SPNL. James has over a decade of experience in the maritime industry and is currently a Key Account Manager and Global Lead for Emissions Connect for Cargo Owners at DNV. He previously worked at Clarksons Research as an Account Manager and Analyst.

James was elected as the Sponsorship Associate Board Member in 2023 and made Vice Chair in 2025. He was made Chair of SPNL at the beginning of 2026. James has a degree in geography from the University of Exeter and holds an MPhil in Geographical Research from the University of Cambridge and an Advanced Diploma in Offshore Support from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

📅 Thursday 16 July 2026
📍 IMO Headquarters, London
🕕 18:00 Registration and welcome drinks
🎙️ 18:30 Event start and interview with the Secretary-General
🥂 19:30 Drinks reception

We look forward to welcoming our members and invited guests for what promises to be a particularly special SPNL evening.

Leadership NextGeneration

30/06/2026

. . . 🌊

SPNL is thrilled to announce an upcoming Leading Thoughts interview with Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). ⚓

A unique chance to hear directly from the head of the UN’s specialised agency for shipping.

His journey. His motivations. His vision for the next generation. 🎯

📅 Thursday 16 July 2026
📍 IMO Headquarters, London

All members and attendees are warmly invited to a rooftop networking reception immediately following the close of the event, with spectacular views across London from the IMO’s rooftop balcony.

Become a member today so as not to miss this exceptional opportunity. ✨

11/06/2026

⏳ One week to go!

🎙️ Meet Our Speaker: Professor Anja Shortland

We are delighted to welcome Professor Anja Shortland to SPNL on 18 June for our upcoming event, Inside the Extortion Business: Facilitating the Trickiest Trades in the World.

Anja is a Professor of Political Economy at King's College London, where she specialises in the economics of crime. She studies private governance in the world's trickiest markets, including piracy, hostages, fine art, antiquities and ransomware. Her research explores the grey ecosystems that bridge the divide between legal firms or families and the criminal underworld, facilitating the safe recovery of stolen assets and examining the role insurers play in governing such transactions.

Anja studied Engineering and Economics at Oxford before completing her Masters and PhD in International Relations at the LSE. Prior to joining King's College London, she worked as a Lecturer in Economics at Leicester, a Reader in Economics at Brunel University and as a consultant to the World Bank on its 2012 Somali Piracy Report.

📚 Her latest book, "We Know You Can Pay A Million: Inside the Dark Economy of Hacking and Ransomwar", was published by Profile in April 2026.

We look forward to hearing Professor Shortland's unique insights into piracy, kidnapping, ransomware and the hidden mechanisms that underpin some of the world's most complex negotiations.

📅 Thursday 18 June 2026
📍 Hellenic Centre, Friends Room, London